Thinking that this might be the custom of the country, I hastened to fill the decanter, hoping that I might get a little new milk for the poor weanling child in return; but when I asked my liberal visitor if she kept cows, and would lend me a little new milk for the baby, she burst out into high disdain.  “Milk!  Lend milk?  I guess milk in the fall is worth a York shilling a quart.  I cannot sell you a drop under.”

This was a wicked piece of extortion, as the same article in the town, where, of course, it was in greater request, only brought three-pence the quart.

“If you’ll pay me for it, I’ll bring you some to-morrow.  But mind—­cash down.”

“And when do you mean to return the rum?” I said, with some asperity.

“When father goes to the creek.”  This was the name given by my neighbours to the village of P—–­, distant about four miles.

Day after day I was tormented by this importunate creature; she borrowed of me tea, sugar, candles, starch, blueing, irons, pots, bowls—­in short, every article in common domestic use—­while it was with the utmost difficulty we could get them returned.  Articles of food, such as tea and sugar, or of convenience, like candles, starch, and soap, she never dreamed of being required at her hands.  This method of living upon their neighbours is a most convenient one to unprincipled people, as it does not involve the penalty of stealing; and they can keep the goods without the unpleasant necessity of returning them, or feeling the moral obligation of being grateful for their use.  Living eight miles from —–­, I found these constant encroachments a heavy burden on our poor purse; and being ignorant of the country, and residing in such a lonely, out-of-the-way place, surrounded by these savages, I was really afraid of denying their requests.

The very day our new plough came home, the father of this bright damsel, who went by the familiar and unenviable title of Old Satan, came over to borrow it (though we afterwards found out that he had a good one of his own).  The land had never been broken up, and was full of rocks and stumps, and he was anxious to save his own from injury; the consequence was that the borrowed implement came home unfit for use, just at the very time that we wanted to plough for fall wheat.  The same happened to a spade and trowel, bought in order to plaster the house.  Satan asked the loan of them for one hour for the same purpose, and we never saw them again.

The daughter came one morning, as usual, on one of these swindling expeditions, and demanded of me the loan of some fine slack.  Not knowing what she meant by fine slack, and weary of her importunities, I said I had none.  She went away in a rage.  Shortly after she came again for some pepper.  I was at work, and my work-box was open upon the table, well stored with threads and spools of all descriptions.  Miss Satan cast her hawk’s eye into it, and burst out in her usual rude manner—­